It's never happen because he'll be after a place in the aussie team but if and when Webb goes would have loved to see Ben Barba at Leeds.

Cooper in the Aussie team?



Inglis, Hodges, Idris, Morris and a few more are ahead of him mainly due to age. He's better than Idris and Morris though.

As for Beni Barber! It's never going to happen



He is the next Australian full back IMO after Slater. There's alll this talk about Josh Duggan being the next number 1 but I dont think he's as good as what's been made of him. Barba has the X Factor and i'd hate to see him leave the Dogs... ever!

Not Cooper talking about Barba and the aussie team. Would deffinetly pick Barba over Duggan anytime. The guys going to be something special, just hope Union don't throw money at him and tempt him there.

Barber will be lucky to play origin never tests - his defense is appalling - Melbourne worked him over good and proper.

Barber is another Matt Bowen - not another Billy Slater.

Matt Cooper is not what Leeds need - great player but a defensive centre on both sides - disaster

In that case then I concur

Barber is a one trick pony - a bit like Burrow - coaches in the NRL will work him out and next season he will not be quite the showstopper he is now.

Slater's reading of the game is second to none - that is why he will be the Aussies fullback for the next 5 years - by which time Barber will be a distant memory.

Barba is only 21 and this is his 1st full season in first grade. Players defensive capabilities generally improve year on year from when they are introduced. Also, there arent many Billy Slater's out there so when he leaves the scene they will hgave to go for the next best thing.

Oh and BTW, had Slater not been around who would the QLD fb have been in that time



As for Cooper, he is more than a defensive centre and to compare him to Brett Delaney is crazy! Delaney wouldnt get anywhere near Cooper.

On Barba - time will tell - to me to be an Aussie test player at FB you have more to your game than just being an elusive runner, that is all Barba is at the minute. He is like Duggan, Campbell, Bowen one dimensional runners who can't defend.

If Slater hadn't been around I would suspect Boyd - not a bad replacement - forgotten about him had we

?

The only comparison between Cooper and Delanney is style not quality - Leeds need a Senior from 5 years ago more Gasnier than Cooper - if I could choose the perfect player it would be Chris Lawrence from the Tigers?

Boyd now i'll agree but Bowen would have been before that. And Barba will develop in D. All you have to do is look closer to home and see what a difference a season in FG made to McShane's defensive ability. At times last year he looked totally out of his depth but this year has improved that side of his game out of sight.

Just going back to Barba though, what you are saying is what people said about McGuire for years. Also he's more than a runner. He creates so much and puts as many people through gaps as the breaks he makes himself. I know if we are chasing the game going into the last 10 mins though he's the player I would like to see touch the ball as much as is humanly possible

Comparing McShane and Barba is futile - McShane plays in the middle with the forwards 10 metres away it is just a case of technique/confidence - FB is a different kettle of fish it is about awareness and game reading.

McGuire was always seen as a support player not an elusive runner - very different. Barba makes lots of breaks because he is new/unknown - next year he will find it much tougher just like Duggan who was the next best thing - look now, much rather have a Boyd/Slater type player than a Duggan/Barba

I wasnt directly comparing them. I was just saying a full year in SL helped him develop his D, as the same will be for Barba. Have you seen all of our games this year anyway? The Melbourne game was the worst we have played all year and no one had a decent game. He reads play pretty well most of the time though.

He hardly played last year - so perhaps it was just a natural progression plus having Buderus and Lowes around can't hinder.

The Bulldogs are on again this week so it will interesting to see how he goes

Wasnt he at Hull half of last season? Then he finished off with a few games in our FG.

And yeah, Big game against our nearest and dearest rivals. Need to right a few wrongs from last time. Not that this is really the place but what do you reckon to Idris as a centre? Id prefer to see Lafai there and Idris at SR personally where his edge defence isnt exposed as much.

I love the "work him out" line, always makes me giggle

Would you say Burrow is effective now as he was 5 years ago - I wouldn't his game has stagnated and coaches have worked him out?

For me Idris lacks finesse - he needs to develop his skill set - Hodges is the best centre in the world for me because his game is multi-dimensional very difficult to defend against

5 years ago was 2006, a great year for the rhinos

His harry sunderland trophy came in 2007

Just answer the question if that isn't to taxing for you?

Not to mention man of the series against the Kiwis.

Burrow has won more man of the match awards this year for Leeds than any other player.

At least the halves that have played this year can get through the games.

True - sadly the results are showing exactly that?

I've always been one of Buderus' biggest fans....but McShane is certainly commanding his spot at the moment.

Have always been quick to criticise Burrow.....not today. He was sublime....and by god we certainly need him to maintain it with the apparent desperate news about McGuire.

Webb too is a blow...but Smith again proved his best position is FB. He even put out a "Webb pass" which wasn't bluddy forward.

Harrigan/Sal Do you not think Hayne is next in line at FB after Slater?
H ,I do like Barba very exciting and looks to attack at every opportunity.
Sal as for Centres if we were to import one i'd like to see SKD or Lawarence as you mentioned.
I also notice Champion is leaving Melbourne just a pity he would'nt come overseas.

Is Burrow's one trick winning man of the match awards?

At this rate he'll be an alcoholic by the end of the season.

I think he's the same player he has always been, quick on his feet and a massive heart, he's always has penchant for running up his own back side and shown more in the last 2 years due too lack of runners, I don't believe this story that he was Andrew johns a few years ago

Thought smith looked good at full back